Swarens: Donald Trump tweets while the world burns

President Donald Trump is addressing thousands of Boy Scouts at a national gathering in West Virginia. Trump says that the country "has no better citizens than its Boy Scouts," adding: "The Scouts believe in putting America first." (July 24)
AP

Donald Trump motions to the crowd after he was inaugurated as president of the United States on Jan. 20(Photo: USA Today)

Here's the state of political discourse in these semi-United States: A male Republican House member challenged three Republican senators, all women, to a duel (cue the score of "Hamilton") because they won't vote to repeal Obamacare. One of the senators in response called the congressman fat and ugly.

Meanwhile, the president of the United States gave a speech to a gathering of Boy Scouts. What could go wrong? Start with the current commander in chief coaxing the Scouts and their leaders to boo his most recent predecessor.

The president also for days has tweeted his sudden disdain for the attorney general he nominated only six months ago. Is there a competent CEO anywhere who manages personnel this way?

Back home in Indiana, someone anonymously edited the Wikipedia page of a Republican congressman running for the U.S. Senate to conveniently highlight a political opponent's talking points. Not only were side-eyes thrown at the opponent, another Republican congressman, but campaign staff for congressman No. 1 said congressman No. 2 has a history of making "unhinged comments."

Each of these examples, all from this week, happen to involve Republicans. But you don't have to dig deep to find Democratic leaders who are guilty of equally as bad, if not worse, pettiness. It was only a year ago, after all, that Democrats' presidential nominee labeled a sizable portion of Americans as "deplorables" because they supported her eventually victorious opponent.

Ah, leadership.

Let's add a few words to the conversation: Islamic State, Syria, North Korea, mass migration, stagnant wages, $20 trillion national debt. You know, the little things.

While the challenges pile up, our elected representatives from both parties show far more interest in scoring political points than seriously tackling serious problems.

Perhaps it's because as a people we're so far apart on potential solutions. Perhaps it's because the problems are too big and complex.

Whatever the reason, there's a stunning lack of seriousness in the nation's capital at a time when the world appears to be growing more dangerous, and certainly is more complex.

Again, this is a bipartisan failure. Republicans have become the Party of No Results and Democrats the Party of No Ideas. Instead, political leaders have become like pro wrestlers -- lots of bluster and insult, but to what end?

It reminds me eerily of the 1990s, when an undisciplined president was his own worst enemy. Partisans on the other side became obsessed with his downfall. And the news media were distracted by the sensational (Monica Lewinsky's blue dress, Chandra Levy's disappearance).

Under the surface, the roots of problems that would shape the world for the next two decades were growing. But most of us didn't take notice until the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

I pray nothing of that scale lurks in the shadows now. I pray this time we'll tire of the pettiness and the distractions before unexpected crisis knocks us flat.

We live in serious times with less than serious leaders. For now, the lions are not at the gate. How long will they stay away?

Contact Swarens at tim.swarens@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @tswarens. Friend him on Facebook at Tim Swarens.

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